Swedish Flower Hen Thread

[Alpine Chicken]

Day 8 candleing. 15 of my 20 eggs are fertile and have moving embryos. I pretty sure one of them has twins in it. Super excited.

Any news on chicks yet?

 

[Bukrub66]

My bad!!! Yup my chicks are 4 days old. We ended up with 11 Fuzzy Butts. All cute as can be.

 

[THeelChickinKY]

@Melabella
I second Alpine Chicken's question: how DO you end up with all the handsome roos?! He's beautiful.

 

[THeelChickinKY]

@Bukrub66
Congratulations on the good hatch! Nice assortment of colors it looks like in your babies.

 

[Melabella]

Thank-you!
I was going to wait until Spring and let my broodies take care of the next chicks, but of course THAT didn´t happen. So I now have 5 new babies (good hatch rate, too, I thought it wouldn´t work out because the eggs get too cold at these temperatures, but 5 out of 6 hatched!). Got a nice mix, too:
2 blacks:


2 chipmunks:


and one interesting grey speckled one- curious to see how he turns out:

ALpine.. these babies are Adorable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Congrats on the lovely hatch! I just had a so so hatch with shipped frozen eggs so this is great news for you! Please keep posting pictures as they grow, and I agree, this last baby is very interesting looking! Beautiful!

MB

 

[Melabella]

Quote:

Quote:Awww... thank you for the lovely compliment guys. I must admit I am amazed by my rooster row so to speak. All I can tell you is that one must start with excellent bloodlines and stock, which I did. I am a newcomer to this breed so to speak, hatched my first trio in May 2014. I really can't take credit yet for my lovely birds, except on their condition of health, but the credit on the boys themselves go to their breeder Leigh Schilling Edwards, member on here Bulldogma. She has lovely birds, strives to breed to the guidelines set forth by the Swedish gene book characteristics of this beloved Swedish landrace. I have found on here, and on FB some dedicated wonderful Swedish Flower Hen USA owners, and I am learning so very much. This summer I will start trying to breed my own, from the birds that I mate. Hopefully I will get more pullets. I have had a horrible male/female ratio in the four hatches I have done so far. There are 6 12 day olds in a brooder in my dining room, and I think I may have 5 boys! These baby girls are like feathered gold! here is a little Melabella Roo Eye candy for today. lol.

MB

 

[THeelChickinKY]

@Melabella
And Nero's looking great, too! I got mine from Bulldogma, too, as hatching eggs last year and they are just gorgeous. Sadly from the original 6 girls we are down to just 2! Between the neighbor's dogs , which they refuse to confine to their property, and a determined hawk, we've had a bad winter. We finally decided to confine the poor things to their run until the predator situation has changed. Anyway, yes, Bulldogma does a great job with her birds!

 

[Melabella]

@Melabella
And Nero's looking great, too! I got mine from Bulldogma, too, as hatching eggs last year and they are just gorgeous. Sadly from the original 6 girls we are down to just 2! Between the neighbor's dogs , which they refuse to confine to their property, and a determined hawk, we've had a bad winter. We finally decided to confine the poor things to their run until the predator situation has changed. Anyway, yes, Bulldogma does a great job with her birds!

I am so sorry for that THeelChickinKY

I lost my first chicken to a predetor, a hawk last month. My neglect truly.. didn't leave my LSGD out as I usually do when they free range, and lost a red sex link. If I had lost one of my SFH girls I would have had a heart attack. I have so few!! It was zero degrees out, and I felt bad for the dog...Lost a chicken, and that was the day Nero got the frostbite. Live and learn. Hawks have been terrible this winter here, the flock has been cooped up for a while. I feel bad for the girls.. those boys are like teenage football players!

MB

 

[THeelChickinKY]

@Melabella
Thanks for the sympathy! Yes, hawks have been particularly bad here this winter, too. Can't wait for those big trees behind behind my house to start getting some leaves again!

 

[Bulldogma]

Quote: Oh my goodness - I'm blushing like crazy! LOL !

I do love the heck out of this breed.